Integration Under Pressure: Europe’s Path Forward

European integration is under pressure as war, geopolitical rivalry, institutional strain, and digital transformation test Europe’s capacity to act. Based on contributions presented at the 16th Network Europe Conference in Belfast, this volume examines the future of Europe’s security architecture and the role of institutions such as the EU, NATO, the United Nations, and the OSCE. It explores the impact of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and considers how states, including neutral Switzerland, can contribute to institutional reform and collective security. Further chapters analyse the uneven paths of European integration in Ukraine, Armenia, Georgia, and the Western Balkans. The experience of Northern Ireland highlights the fragility of peace, reconciliation, and prosperity even decades after violent conflict. The volume also addresses qualified majority voting in the Common Foreign and Security Policy, the restoration of the rule of law after democratic backsliding, and systemic risk governance under the Digital Services Act. Together, the contributions reveal both the scale of the challenges confronting Europe and its continuing capacity for adaptation and reform. It features contributions from Eka Akobia, Michael Ambühl, Tobias Baumgartner, Jelena Ceranic Perisic, Gábor Halmai, Indre Isokaite, Anna Khvorostiankina, Lee McGowan, Nora Meier, Juan Santos Vara, Haroldas Sinkunas, and Kseniia Smyrnova. Network Europe was founded in 2003 by the Europa Institute at the University of Zurich with support from the Swiss government. It serves as a forum for scholarly exchange on legal and political aspects of European integration, bringing together researchers from across Europe.